What to do? I attempted to shoot 20 44 magnum reloads using 23gn of H110 and magnum pistol primers that I bought new from the store less than a month ago.
Primers are all hit in the center of the 6 that didn't fire just like the factory rounds and the other reloads that I shot along side them. What could be wrong? What do I do now? I have a bullet puller, is it safe to use it? Any help would be much appreciated.

You can pull them.

I always suspect user error (you) first, oil or moisture on primers or not fully seated primers are my guess.

If you take one that did not fire and try to shoot it again and it goes off, the primer was not seated fully.
But since factory loads had the same problem I would say the gun had has had a spring kit put in to lighten the trigger pull. You NEVER reduce a mainspring. Buy a new Wolfe mainspring of 24 to 26# and install it.
I bet all will fire if tried again but you have ruined accuracy.

Well if your primer indents look like this, then you've got a lightstrike problem. Is this a new S&W?

Stock S&W 629 almost new no aftermarket parts. I tried firing them a second time and they still didn't go off. Primers were seated fully. I must have gotten something on the primers, but I don't know how as they went from the box to the case. I am working indoors in a temp. controlled enviorment. and storage of primers and powder are the same (temp. controlled). I will pull them them this weekend. Anyone else want to take a stab.

Why do you assume that they can't be duds from the factory ? You can find various problems with primers !!If you have any more duds with that box of primers throw them out !

dla, they kinda look like the one on the left. Hard to be sure.

If it looks anything like the one on the left, then it would be a light firing pin strike. I have only had this happen when I had a trigger job done and they used a light weight spring.

Don't believe all that stuff about oil or moisture affecting primers. I have been reloading for years with no special care in handling them with no problems. In fact I have tried to deactivate some of them and WD-40 wouldn't do it, so from that point on, I didn't care.

Seating depth, on the other hand, will absolutely affect primer ignition.

Doesn't the 629 have a mainspring strain screw? It should be tight.

I have to wonder what "almost no after market parts" means?????

Wonder If they have powder in them?????
Not sayin how I know that can happen!!!!!

bfrshooter, I meant the gun is almost new (less than 100rds), no aftermarket parts at all. OLBIKER, when I pull them apart, I will find out if they have powder in them, but they were part of my second ever batch (of 20 rds) of reloads for the 44 so I THINK I was pretty careful but the proof will be when I pull them!

In my experience, even a primer going off will typically dislodge a bullet; maybe not enough to fully clear the case, but enough to move forward and lock up the revolver. I am willing to bet this is not a "lack of powder" issue. I suspect he got a bad batch of primers or his mainspring has an issue qnd the primers did not detonate period...

A normal primer strike should look like the following (ignore the crack as this was the only primer strike photo I had)

OK, a new S&W usually has a good, snappy mainspring.
Let us know what you find.

Whether there is powder in them or not is irrelevant. The primers did not ignite!
Peter.

Don't the reloading manuals always caution about NOT getting resizing lube on primers? Especially if you're fingering them one at a time while using the press mounted priming tool? Absent any further revelations, that would be my guess.

I have been loading for about 57 years and have never had a reload fail to fire. Primers are just not that delicate. They have a protective coating. I have had factory loads fail but never a reload. I have had factory loads go off without the powder burning.
I have had powder in the .454 fail to light but the primers fired.
A primer has a lot of force and can move a bullet into the bore if you leave out the powder.

For J-Po or anyone, as a non-metallic handloader I have a side question to this. Does the way you do this involve measuring each powder charge individually or does the metallic handloader use a progressive unit of some type to automate the process? If it's individually I think it would be almost impossible to forget the powder charge for one let alone a whole series. Even improper seating of primers or accidental selection of the wrong primer would take some doing and be readily noticed on inspection.

Automated loading on the other hand would be harder to say. At least that's how I remember it from my shotshell reloading days. Anyhow, in shotshells I don't remember a single bad primer in 10K or so plus. I guess it does happen however...

I'm not going to say I never forgot the powder, but the way the process was set up made that somewhat a "self correcting problem". It would be apparent when you loaded the shot.

I'm not the expert on this, but it sounds like a rare case of bad primers. I'd try it without powder and bullet with this batch of primers, then try other primers for a comparison. Then you'll know.

I've had some duds with CCI large rifle primers. I use Federal now.

Alright, don't laugh guys, but I have been reloading for two plus years using the caliber specific Lee Loaders. When I bought the 44, I also bought the 44mag Lee loader, magnum primers, and H110. I am in the market for a press, especially after reloading the 44 as the rifle cases have been fairy easy to resize in the Lee tool but not the 44. I don't use any lube. Also I do weigh all charges on a pre-balanced small Lee scale. I know how I do it is primitive to most of you. But for now this is the way I reload. I have never had any problem with a rifle reload out of the Lee Loader in two years, not one. I actually have produced some decent groups, no failures until now. Brass was from factory rounds, so this was the 2nd time they were to be fired case wise. I will pull the bullets tomorrow evening and report back. Thanks to all for the imput.

I still use a Rockchucker for my reloading. It's a hard press to beat.

J-PO
The S&W can lose some striking power if the strain screw backs out even a little.
It happened to me with my 629 and I was surprised that the primers didn’t ignite even with the denting the pin did do.
You may need to tighten it and use loc tight to keep it in place. Good luck.


.

Be careful with primer seating pressure. You want to only feel them seat fully and a hand priming tool is best.
You can crack the compound out from under the anvil if you crank in primers.
Some presses do not allow a "feel" to seating and you could put tons of pressure on them.

S&W went to a smaller diameter and slightly shorter firing pin to ensure compliance with CA's drop test - at least that is the story I heard.

Things move a tiny bit when the revolver is first fired resulting in light strikes. If you call S&W's Customer service, they will fix it for free - shipping and all.

On side note: a standard wolf LP primer has enough zip by itself to push a bullet into the forcing cone and lock up the revolver. A CCI350 has a little more zip and may get the bullet in far enough for the cylinder to turn.

And my experience with modern primers is that nothing bothers them. You can spray them with WD40 first and then seat them and they will work.

quote:

Originally posted by J-Po:
Alright, don't laugh guys, but I have been reloading for two plus years using the caliber specific Lee Loaders. When I bought the 44, I also bought the 44mag Lee loader, magnum primers, and H110. I am in the market for a press, especially after reloading the 44 as the rifle cases have been fairy easy to resize in the Lee tool but not the 44. I don't use any lube. Also I do weigh all charges on a pre-balanced small Lee scale. I know how I do it is primitive to most of you. But for now this is the way I reload. I have never had any problem with a rifle reload out of the Lee Loader in two years, not one. I actually have produced some decent groups, no failures until now. Brass was from factory rounds, so this was the 2nd time they were to be fired case wise. I will pull the bullets tomorrow evening and report back. Thanks to all for the imput.

I think you would be happy with the Lee Classic turret. There is no reason to make a blunder and buy a green single-stage nowadays. The LCT, (I own one and a Dillon SDB), is a very well designed press. And it is cheaper than the green boat anchor.


But I think you would be even happier with a working revolver. Pull the grip and check the mainspring strain screw - it should be tight. Then call S&W customer service. By the way, it is much faster to have them email the prepaid FedEx label, which you then print out and tape onto the FedEx box. The process is easy and they'll send you instructions.

OK, so I pulled the grip as recommended and found that I was able to turn the main sping screw about a 1/4 turn until it was tight. I thought that this could be the problem but others with more experience can tell me if a 1/4 turn could cause the light strike. Next I pulled the bullets and was quite suprised to see the powder come out with a green tint to it. I looked in the case and found a light yellow dust (best way I can explain it) on the inside of the case wall. Just in case, I poured out a bit of H110 from its container and it was all black and smelled fine. Finally, I shined a light into the case to find that the primer had not been set off which brings me back to the main spring screw. I will not be able to shoot for a week or so so I can not test the tightened screw right away. I also don't have any more reloads (unfired) to pull for comparison or to attempt to shoot to see if it was the spring. Anyone see the yellow dust before? I ran the cases through lyman corn cob media in my tumbler before reloading. Is it residue from the media?

BTW dla, I have been eyeing up the Lee Turet Press. I like Lee products and would be happy to stick with them. Thanks for the recommendation. Also thanks for the S&W return procedure. If it misfires again in ther next couple of outings it is getting sent back right away. vinnyg we must be neighbors! I will keep after the spring for sure (locktite if it loosens).

Sounds like residue from the tumbling media and will not hurt anything unless some blocks the flash hole.
I never use mag primers in the .44, only a Fed 150. Mag primers triple group size for me.
Been shooting standard primers for more years then I care to admit in the .44 and .45 with 296 and H110.
You have a firing pin or mainspring problem.
Are all pivot points in the gun lubricated? do you find any part dragging to slow the hammer?
Be surprised how many shoot a dry gun with no oil. It is like draining the oil from your car and swishing soap through the engine to make it nice and clean, then drive to town without oil!